


The Angel and the Ace of Crosses

by Takara_Phoenix



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Asexual Raphael Santiago, BDSM, Bondage, Dom Raphael Santiago, Kneeling, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Sexual Submission, Secret Identity, Slash, Sub Jace Wayland, Temperature Play, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:15:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27244849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: On his downtime, Raphael liked to visit a private anonymous BDSM club. The lines are clear at the club and he enjoys the anonymity until he finds his perfect sub, a blonde under the alias 'Angel', and he wishes to know who is hiding behind the mask.
Relationships: Raphael Santiago/Jace Wayland
Comments: 20
Kudos: 169





	The Angel and the Ace of Crosses

Shadowhunters || Japhael || The Angel and the Ace of Crosses || Japhael || Shadowhunters

Title: The Angel and the Ace of Crosses – Anonymity, Submission and... Love?

Fandom: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments

Disclaimer: All rights to the _Shadowhunters_ show reserved to Ed Decter, the books the show is based off and its characters belong to Cassandra Clare. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/m, secret identity, mutual pining, non-sexual BDSM, bondage, temperature play, kneeling

Main Pairing: Raphael/Jace

Shadowhunters Characters: Jonathan 'Jace' Herondale, Raphael Santiago, Magnus Bane

Summary: On his downtime, Raphael liked to visit a private anonymous BDSM club. The lines are clear at the club and he enjoys the anonymity until he finds his perfect sub, a blonde under the alias 'Angel', and he wishes to know who is hiding behind the mask.

**The Angel and the Ace of Crosses**

_Anonymity, Submission and... Love?_

Jace liked to submit. He had found joy and pleasure in it repeatedly with partners in the past. Jace didn't like relationships. They weren't for him. Love destroyed and relationships ran the risk of leading to love. One-night-stands ran the risk of inexperienced partners who didn't know what they were doing – thought it all good fun and didn't take it seriously. Jace had too, in the beginning, until he first hooked up with Maia, who _definitely_ knew what she was doing. Things between them weren't meant to be however, too much baggage, too many confusing feelings, too much past.

It was Magnus, ironically enough, who introduced Jace to the perfect solution. After one time where the warlock saw some nasty bruising on Jace the morning after a one-night-stand had left. Not the fun kind of bruising, but the kind that came from inexperienced people trying to do bondage. Magnus had referred him to a private club – Pandora's Box – where one could enjoy BDSM in a safe environment and in anonymity. One gave an alias when signing up and got a mask to hide one's identity. It served as protection for Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike, allowed higher ranking members like Magnus to have his fun without any gossip spreading about the High Warlock of Brooklyn. The club was also professional and any dom he would pair up with would be well-versed in binding techniques – the club gave lessons for the inexperienced too.

Jace was intrigued. No strings attached, no chance of a relationship developing out of it because they wouldn't even exchange names. Safety of security and a safe environment – going with strangers was only fun a certain percentage of the times. It was clean, respectable and it only took new members on recommendation from already signed up members. Thanks to Magnus, Jace now had a personal recommendation that weighed a lot. Another perk of living with the High Warlock.

Jace went, with Magnus – he _did_ need his recommendation, after all – to check out the club for the first time. He was reluctant at first, but also very intrigued. The club was beautiful, elegant, very clean. Every person they ran into was wearing a mask covering the entire or the majority of their face, other than that they were wearing expensive clothes, fitting into their environment. There was a bar, classy not run-down like the Hunter's Moon, where people met and talked – some really just came here to talk to other, fellow subs or doms, others were chatting potential partners for the night up. Upstairs was what got interesting, because this club was actually a converted hotel. Upstairs were the rooms, converted into private rooms for sessions. During his tour, Jace had been shown a few rooms to get a feel for it. The more he saw, the more interested he grew.

He started going to the club, careful and curious at first. At first, he just chatted people up at the bar. Until he first dared to go with someone upstairs. It was all very... professional. It seemed that doms had their own rooms upstairs that they maintained and fitted themselves, with everything they specifically needed. There were free rooms to rent for a night if a member was still new, or if a sub brought an outside partner with them for a night (guest visitors were allowed in the club, but only in company of a member who had been part of the club for at least three months).

For a couple of weeks, Jace tried different doms. He appreciated the care, the dedication, he loved that the club itself kept the rooms professionally cleaned, that there was security that could easily be alerted if something went wrong. But none felt _right_. It was much like his usual one-night-stands, just with more of a safety net and cleaner. That was, until he met Ace.

Ace de la Cruz was a strict but tender dom, whose low, velvet-like voice sent shivers down Jace's back when he gave him an order. He gave Jace a strange sense of safety, his demeanor, his posture, his tone of voice, it all made Jace feel able to fully relax; something he always struggled with, even in a scene, he'd never be fully able to slip into sub-space because the warrior in him was always ready for an attack and to fight back. Not with Ace, the dom knew exactly how to take Jace out of his own mind, take him down and take him apart before putting him back together again.

He was a handsome Latino, the mask he usually wore covered his face aside from his mouth, a black leather mask adored with a ruby cross – the kind from play-cards – at his right sleeve, pinning some golden lace to the side of his mask. He always wore well-cut suits that showed off his physique, some kind of blood-red accessory of sorts – a dark-gray vest with red pine-stripes, a folded handkerchief in the pocket, golden cuff-links with rubies on them. He also always wore black leather gloves during the session; taking them off was one of the ways Jace knew that the session had ended. Ace _never_ wore them during the aftercare, he would always run gentle, ungloved fingers through Jace's hair, it was incredibly soothing and Jace loved it.

There were whole new kinks Jace had tried out with Ace, things he had noted down in his file as 'open to try', but had never done before. Submission had always been something Jace had done as a side-act during sex, mostly with people as inexperienced as him, or even less inexperienced. Something playful, never taken seriously. With Ace, it was impossible not to take seriously, but not in a way that made it feel like a task; the rules set gave Jace a sense of safety and security too. He knew Ace didn't overstep and in return, Jace had learned not to overstep himself.

Jace never had a dom use their own safeword, but once, very early into their meetings – the second time they had gone upstairs together – Jace had gotten carried away, tried making it sexual. After all, he was used to it being inherently linked to sex, he had always shared this with his one-night-stands and a few of the doms he had gone with before meeting Ace had been very eager to cross that line too. However, Ace was not interested in sex, at all, certainly not with his sub.

"That's why I go to this club", had he said in a serious voice. "I want you to submit to me. I do not want to have _sex_ with you. Or with anyone, for that matter."

Jace had apologized, profoundly. He _had_ mainly acted on instinct, he had been on his knees in front of Ace and, well, Ace's crotch had been on eye-level, leaning in had felt natural, with many doms, this kind of scenario had already led to blowjobs. No sex, only submission. Jace could work with that. It may actually improve the whole thing. Sex got messy, added another layer to things and it also often led to a certain kind of... _bond_. No strings attached; that was what Jace wanted.

Just submitting to get out of his own head after a tiresome, straining mission. And Ace offered him that, offered it in ways Jace had never experienced before. He was going to play by Ace's rules, very gladly, if that meant he got to keep coming here and have Ace dom for him.

/break\

Raphael had found something that worked for him. Romantic relationships were hard, harder than they had to. Too often, he had developed feelings for someone who couldn't live in a sex-free relationship. And then Isabelle had happened, the blood addiction making him even more wary of being with a mortal. He needed more distance. But there were still things he enjoyed. He had found his liking for dominance many years ago. Sometimes, he found a partner for whom that worked.

In general, Raphael felt like he was searching for something too specific. A relationship with the occasional submission but without sex. He would like romance too, but for now, he had found a place that offered him the other two, in an environment where the rules were set very clearly.

He had his regulars at Pandora's Box, a couple subs he usually took with him to his room. Among them, he had one favorite. He was still rather new to he club and Raphael had taken him for only a few weeks now, but Raphael could already tell. His Angel was made for him.

Angel Gold, that was the alias the blonde sub went by. Well, 'blonde'. Golden-blonde hair, hazel eyes, a well-toned body. If Raphael had to hazard a guess, he'd say Angel was a Shadowhunter – though the blonde was clever enough to glamour all his runes to keep his identity hidden. Some rune-placements were quite the tell-tale, if Raphael thought back on Isabelle's angelic rune. Not to mention, it made things between Shadowhunters and Downworlders easier, to hide their traits at the club and ensure anonymity. Either way, Raphael appreciated the blonde's body; it was a marvel to look at, a canvas to create art on – and _so_ responsive.

/break\

"You're too tense", stated Raphael with a frown. "Relax."

"Make me", grunted Jace, swallowing hard when Raphael ran his hands through Jace's hair, balling a fist and tugging it, pulling his head back. "Make me, _sir_."

"Better", hummed Raphael, giving another pointed tug.

His Angel actually went more slack in his grip. What the blonde sought was authority, someone to take charge of him. Again, Raphael suspected Shadowhunter – the wound-up tenseness, he thought it came from taxing missions. His fight-reflex was still active; it was why he backtalked. He needed Raphael to take him down a notch, bring him back to the ground.

"Breath. Deep, slow", ordered Raphael while he wound the rope around Jace's limbs. "Good. Hold. Close your eyes, only focus on me, on the rope against your skin. Breath out, slowly."

The blonde did as he was told, the tenseness slowly easing off him. Blood-red rope, winding in intricate patterns over Jace's torso and thighs, tying his arms behind his back.

"The outside world stays out of this room", stated Raphael firmly as he finished up the bondage. "In here, only _I_ matter to you, you know that. I'm taking care of you. In here, you are _mine_."

"Yes, sir", gasped Jace out, breath stuttering.

He instinctively leaned into Raphael's touch, making him smirk pleased. His Angel was so good for him, once he settled down. He eased Jace down onto the pillow in a kneeling position. It was one of the blonde's favorites. Raphael liked him on his knees too. Humming to himself, Raphael walked over to the candles he had lit before tying Jace up. Taking the red candle, he turned around to face Jace once more, an unholy look in his eyes as he took in his kneeling sub. His Angel's mask complimented his alias; white with golden symbols and white feathers left and right like little wings. Smiling to himself, Raphael ran his fingers down Jace's chest, over the ropes.

"Lean back", ordered Raphael, voice low but firm. "I got you."

Without opening his eyes, Jace leaned back, trusting his dom to have him. Raphael pressed a hand beneath Jace's shoulder-blades, guiding him back until his shoulders hit the edge of the bed. Slowly, Jace leaned his head back onto the mattress, breath stuttering in excitement.

"Breath" reminded Raphael nearly gently as he tilted the candle.

Slowly, the red wax dripped from the burning candle. Red pearls falling down until they hit golden skin. A sharp intake of breath sounded from Jace, he stiffened for only a moment, but didn't move away. This wasn't their first time with some temperature play and Jace knew he could trust his dom. More wax dripped down onto Jace's chest. It pearled on his skin, droplets running down the smooth, golden skin of his chest. Raphael tilted his head intrigued as he watched, painting a picture with red wax on slowly pinking skin. The blonde made little sounds every now and again, though he was being good for his dom and staying put.

"You're doing very well, mi Angelito", praised Raphael in a tender voice.

He reached out for the silver bucket next to the bed, filled with ice-cubes. Even through the leather of his black gloves, he could feel the cold of the ice. Jace's eyes were still closed as he leaned against the bed, the wax on his skin slowly cooling. The sensation change made the blonde gasp breathlessly as the ice was pressed against his skin, just around the wax. His lips quivered, eyelashes fluttering. His body relaxed even more as the ice was gently run down his skin, tracing his six-pack. The water from the melting ice was left in its wake. After two ice-cubes, Raphael switched back to the candle, earning him a beautiful whine from his sub.

"Beautiful", whispered Raphael as he took a step back to drink in the sight.

The red of the wax and the ropes against Jace's skin was breathtaking. The blonde looked like he was in a completely boneless state, his mouth open a little in bliss. Smiling to himself, very pleased with himself, Raphael went to sit down next to Jace.

"Let's call it a night for today", declared Raphael. "Open your eyes for me."

Jace's eyelids fluttered open and he turned his head toward Raphael at the familiar words. Calling it a night was how they ended their scenes. He watched intensely how Raphael peeled his gloves off. Cunning fingers untied the rope in slow, practiced moves. He peeled the wax off Jace's skin and helped ease Jace up onto the bed. The blonde stretched out as Raphael applied some lotion on the raw skin where the marks of the ropes remained red.

"You were very good for me today, Angelito", whispered Raphael lowly.

His sub offered him a lazy half-smile as he rolled together. He rested his head on Raphael's thigh, allowing his dom to run his fingers through the golden-blonde hair. It had become an integral part of their aftercare routine, for Raphael to play with that soft, golden hair. It soothed them both.

"I hope the next week will not be as straining as this week has been", noted Raphael softly.

Once Jace came down a little, the two often talked. At first, simply so Raphael could make sure his sub was fine, but then they both grew more and more interested in each other's lives and sometimes, they talked for an hour or even two without even noticing. Jace stretched a little and turned his head to look up at Raphael, offering a small smile to his dom.

"Your word in the Angel's ears", chuckled Jace softly. "I won't be in town next week though."

"That's a shame. I hope a well-deserved vacation though", noted Raphael gently.

"Work", replied Jace shortly, sighing.

They talked, but they tried to be as vague as possible to not give away their real identities. Still, they shared so much of themselves, even without giving away their names. Things they never shared with anyone, not even those they loved the most, because they felt too much like burdening them.

"You don't sound happy about it", commented Raphael concerned.

"Favorite co-worker won't be there. Instead, we're going with a new guy and it just... throws off the dynamic, you know? Also, not a fan of work-trips", sighed Jace, closing his eyes.

"I'm sure it will be fine", chuckled Raphael bemused, still playing with Jace's hair. "And if it is any consolation, I doubt I'll have the time next week either. Remember the case I told you about last week? It's been getting more complicated. We'll have experts in to consult and, as the one in charge, I will be quite busy myself, I'm afraid."

"Can I... text you?", asked Jace, looking up at Raphael hopefully.

"Always, Angelito", smiled Raphael, tracing Jace's mask.

They had exchanged numbers after a couple of weeks, because it was more practical that way – they could decide on times and days to meet at the club. Over time, they also started texting about other things though. About their days. Things that, considering the nature of their relationship, shouldn't be. They shouldn't exchange personal information like that, Raphael shouldn't be looking forward to his Angel's texts and Jace shouldn't spend all week giddy to come and see Ace.

/break\

"I've heard some complaints lately."

Magnus was smiling mischievously as he filled two glasses of wine and handed one to Raphael. The vampire offered a confused look as he accepted the glass. The two of them were at the loft, on the balcony. With how intense the past few months had been, it was important to the both of them to spend time together and bond. Magnus had gone through so much – with the body-switch, the torture, confronting his father – and so had Raphael – also with the torture, and the addiction, everything that had happened with Heidi... with Rosa's death. The two were so busy with their own pain, they had no time to console each other. Right now, things had settled down and both had the peace of mind. And the time, what with both having lost their leadership to someone else.

"What kind of complaints?", asked Raphael after a moment.

"A warlock was over today, someone who _also_ frequents the club. It seems you are... dearly missed", hummed Magnus curiously. "I haven't been in so many months now, I didn't realize... But you've gone _exclusive_? I don't remember you ever having gone exclusive before."

"I'm... not...", started Raphael, just to pause.

He blinked slowly and tilted his head. He was going exclusive. He hadn't even realized that, but the only person he had taken upstairs lately was his Angel. It hadn't even been a conscious decision to do so, he simply... only had eyes for his Angel, when he spotted the blonde, he approached him. If he didn't spot him, he'd leave for the night because there was no one else holding his attention.

"You're not what?", asked Magnus patiently after a moment.

"I didn't mean to be exclusive", whispered Raphael softly. "I just... he... enchants me."

" _He_... enchants you?", echoed Magnus intrigued. "Tell me more."

"He is... special. It's not just that him and I are very... compatible. I've..." Raphael paused and turned to stare into his wine glass. "I've grown fond of him. Very... fond of him."

" _How_ fond, exactly?", asked Magnus, narrowing his eyes.

When Raphael failed to answer, Raphael's phone buzzed and before the vampire had a chance to hide it from his father, Magnus had caught the lit-up screen and the name on it.

"Mi Angelito?", read Magnus, putting all of his judgment into the words. "You have _your_ own little angel? That's a cute petname. Why do you have your sub's number and why does he have a cute petname? Do you have actual... serious feelings for your sub?"

"I... might have", sighed Raphael in defeat after a moment.

"Oh, my dear boy", sighed Magnus, a gentle look in his eyes.

"I didn't _mean_ to. It has never happened before. The club always... worked. But this one – this one... he... makes me feel _understood_. Beyond our sessions, where... our kinks align very well, he is _so_ responsive and eager to follow, he melts under my touch and lets me mold him. He is so... sweet and listens to me, when we talk, afterward. I'm being careful, I've been... pretending to be a lawyer and I've not given away that I'm a vampire yet, he has no idea. But sometimes, I run something that happened by him, differently phrased, and... he has given me advise, he has been so... comforting."

"And have you considered telling him?", inquired Magnus pointedly. "That you are a vampire, not a lawyer, that you love him, your _name_ , for example...?"

"It's against what our relationship is supposed to be", argued Raphael exasperated. "Besides, for now I have different things to focus on than my Angel. I have been given the questionable honor to go on a mission with the Shadowhunters. I thought this would dissolve more easily..."

While Raphael sighed exasperated, Magnus chuckled. "Simon's giving you a _chance_. You put yourself into this position, Raphael. Just like me, you screwed up and it lost you your position. Simon's keeping you in the loop and giving you responsibility, he's _trying_ to rekindle things between you two. See it as a _chance_ , not as an inconvenience."

"Having to go on a weekend trip with Shadowhunters _is_ an inconvenience", grunted Raphael flatly. "I thought the rogue vampire could be taken care of, but... at this point, it seems like the best course of action would be to team up and hunt them – because the one rogue vampire turned into three – down together. Now including a trip out of the city together. Just... great."

"See it as a forced little vacation", declared Magnus teasingly. "And when you get back, consider having a sit-down with _your_ Angel, introduce yourself and ask him out."

Raphael simply rolled his eyes and didn't comment on it any further. He knew this was not a good idea, if his Angel rejected him, he didn't think he could take the blonde upstairs again. It would throw off their dynamic too much, put a clear imbalance where it shouldn't be. Then again, so did his one-sided longing for more. Sighing, he emptied his wine-glass. For now, he had a trip with Shadowhunters to focus on and a group of rogue vampires to take care of.

/break\

Jace missed Alec. It wasn't that Alec was _gone_ , but sometimes the office of the head of the Institute felt like it was on another planet. He hated that he couldn't go on missions with Alec anymore, because Alec had more responsibilities to deal with. Instead, Jace found himself going on an 'at least weekend trip' with Isabelle and Clary to track down some rogue vampires. Isabelle, Clary _and a vampire_. Not Simon, because Simon was busy being clan-leader now, but Simon was sending a vampire with them to help them track – the vampire who had been on the case before the clan decided to call the Institute for backup. They had tracked the rogues, out of the city.

"Looks like you and I are going to be roommates."

Jace had an utterly unimpressed expression of his face as he dangled the keys and turned toward Raphael Santiago. As in, the former clan-leader, Isabelle's ex-boyfriend and Magnus' surrogate son. Which was quite the conflicting record, honestly. Jace had never really spent much time with Raphael. There was Magnus, who loved the guy dearly like a son and vouched for him. But on the other hand, there was Isabelle, who had gotten hooked on Raphael's vampire venom. Though according to Magnus, Raphael had really moved on from that, sobered up from the bloodlust and was trying to turn a new page after the whole Heidi debacle. So who was Jace to judge.

"Roommates?", repeated Raphael, sounding just as thrilled as him.

"They only have two rooms left. Izzy and Clary claimed the other. Come on. I am really tired and you reek from your trip to the sewers with Izzy", grunted Jace pointedly.

After heaving a sigh, Raphael followed Jace upstairs toward their hotel room. Both dumped their bags on the floor in front of the bed and stared at said bed in disdain. Sharing a room was one thing, but sharing a _bed_ was another. Before either could address the issue, Raphael headed to the bathroom to get the shower Jace had suggested. Sighing frustrated, Jace collapsed onto the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. His other hand instinctively reached for his phone and he started typing a message, to the contact he had saved as _Ace of Hearts_. No one had to know how sappy he was; most certainly not Ace. Jace knew his alias was a pun on the dom's sexuality and his religion – Jace knew Ace was catholic and that his faith meant a lot to him. Still, Jace couldn't help but turn it into a pun about his own feelings for his dom. His rapidly growing feelings for his dom.

 _Work trip took an unexpected turn. Now sharing a room with the newbie._ [eye-roll emoji]

Jace paused for a moment. He knew he should be as vague as possible and shouldn't share personal things with the other, but he simply... couldn't help it. Ace had become his greatest confidant after Alec, but with a fresh look onto things, no baggage of the past, no judgment, just gentleness and care. Ace was entirely and wholly _Jace's_. Closing his eyes, Jace pictured being in that room, with that man right now, feeling Ace's fingers run through his hair. The water in the bathroom turned off and not long after, Raphael entered the bedroom. It was strange seeing the composed vampire in pajamas and Jace took a moment to just stare at him, until he received a pointed look from Raphael.

"You could do with a shower too, you know. You smell like sweat and whatever it is you decided to kill when you got distracted during the mission", grunted Raphael pointedly.

Jace huffed but he did as Raphael said, if only to get a clear head. He _hated_ the idea of sharing a room, much less a bed. He still had nightmares about what had happened during the war. Nightmares that made him scream and cry. Nightmares his parabatai usually woke him from, to hold him in a soothing embrace and promise him that he was safe. All he could do was just... not sleep, to void that scenario. All showered and changed into his own night attire – sweatpants and a worn-out shirt – he got back to the bedroom to find Raphael on his phone. Walking past the vampire, Jace sat down on his own side of the bed and reached for his own phone. His heart did a jump as he saw that Ace had replied while Jace was in the shower. Smiling softly to himself, he checked the message, his smile only growing as he read his dom's words.

 _I'm sure you'll be fine, mi Angelito_. _Be good for me and get through the weekend. I'll reward you for it on Monday with your favorite treat. My assignment took a turn too._

Jace slid down further on the bed, smiling to himself at the promised reward, quickly typing a reply about how much he was looking forward to that reward and that he knew whatever turn Ace's assignment took, he would handle it like a pro.

"Texting your girlfriend?", inquired Raphael casually, seemingly trying for small-talk.

"Boyfriend, actually", replied Jace without missing a beat.

He waited a second to see how Raphael reacted, but when all the vampire did was hum in acknowledgment, Jace moved on from it and hit send before putting his phone away. He paused for only a moment when Raphael's phone buzzed and he immediately reached for his phone, smiling to himself before typing a reply. The moment Jace was ready to dismiss it as a coincident, Raphael put his phone aside again... and Jace's own buzzed with a new message. Frowning to himself, Jace just typed a very quick message, _Good night_ , and hit sent immediately. Waiting for Raphael to reach for his phone again. The realization came over Jace like a cold shower. He simply stared at the vampire, watched the way Raphael smiled so very gently to himself – and he _recognized_ that smile; that was the smile Ace had reserved for him during aftercare. He had never seen Raphael Santiago smile before, especially not like this. But that was _Ace's smile for Jace_.

"What about you? New girlfriend after things with Izzy fell apart?", quipped Jace tensely.

"Boyfriend, actually", corrected Raphael, deliberately echoing Jace's earlier words.

Jace's heart was racing in his chest at that. If Raphael really was Ace, that meant that he returned Jace's feelings. The phone in his hand buzzed and Jace's eyes traveled down to it to reach the words – _Sleep well, Angelito_. Biting his lower lip, Jace typed quickly and as he hit sent, he turned to look at Raphael, to watch the vampire intensely. Raphael looked confused by that stare until he took his phone again to read the message he had just received. With deeply furrowed brows did Raphael turn toward Jace, seemingly putting together what Jace had just figured out himself, based on the message that 'Angel' had just sent him. _You too, Raphael_.

"Did...", started Raphael, voice wavering a little.

"Hi, Ace", greeted Jace with a sarcastic half-smile as he waved at Raphael. "Guess I'm your important assignment that went not the way you expected, huh?"

"...I... suppose so", was all Raphael managed after a moment.

He kept staring at Jace. Frowning. Oh great. That much for boyfriend, huh? Jace swallowed, playing with the hem of his shirt. He stupidly felt underdressed right now. He always dressed to impress when he went to meet Ace, he wanted to meet his dom's high standards (and Ace's clothes _definitely_ showed a high standard of quality). The way Raphael looked at him... He was regretting what he had said, wasn't he? Angel was one thing, but _Jace_. He startled when Raphael reached out for his chin, tilting his head so Raphael could look into his eyes.

"You glamoured your eyes", observed Raphael. "The runes, I had figured out. But the eyes... I would have realized if I had seen those eyes. They're quite unique."

"R... Right." Jace nodded and cleared his throat. "Honestly, I didn't put together that you're a vampire. Your... control has gotten really good... I..."

"We should talk about what we both said there, before. You called me your boyfriend when you texted me. And... I called you my boyfriend when you asked me who I was texting."

"We... said that", whispered Jace, biting his lips. "I'm guessing that knowing who I am changes your earlier statement, because the mystique was the appeal?"

"You're still the person I have been bonding with for months. I just... mh. I can now put faces and names to the vague stories you have been telling me about. And that best friend you are so very close to that I started to get jealous about... that was the parabatai bond."

"Jealous?", echoed Jace startled. "You got _jealous_ of _Alec_?"

"The way you talked about him, about that 'deep bond' you two share", justified Raphael.

He actually looked flustered at his own words. Jace's heart was racing as he looked into Raphael's dark, warm eyes. The vampire was still holding his face, holding it so very close. Swallowing hard, Jace looked for words that seemed to fail him. Raphael had been jealous, that meant...

"So... you wanna... go on a date, sometime?", asked Jace softly, biting his lip.

"I'd love to take you out, when we get back from this mission."

Raphael smiled softly at that, tilting his head. Jace licked his lips, leaning in more and more, before he caught himself. He remembered Raphael's hard limits. Leaning back, he looked at the vampire.

"Can I kiss you?", asked Jace after a moment. "I mean, I know you don't... do sex. But..."

"Occasionally. I'm not too keen on it, but sometimes."

Leaning in, Raphael kissed Jace very gently and as they parted, Jace found himself chasing after Raphael's lips to the point of him just falling on top of the vampire. Chuckling amused, Raphael laid an arm around Jace's waist and pulled him closer to hold.

"...Are you still going to take me upstairs?", asked Jace after a stretch of shared silence.

"If you want to, yes. I love... our relationship, as it is. I would like to _add_ to it, not take away from it. I want to meet you outside of the club, hold you even when we didn't have a session beforehand."

"Good", sighed Jace relieved, snuggling up to Raphael.

Closing his eyes, Jace felt himself relaxing. All fears about nightmares tonight seemed gone now that he knew he wasn't just sharing a room with a near stranger, but rather with one of the people he trusted the most. With his now new boyfriend. Smiling to himself, he reached for his phone.

"You're not going to text me again, are you?", asked Raphael teasingly.

"Not _everything_ is about you", huffed Jace amused. "I'm texting Alec."

"About the mission?", inquired Raphael curiously, running his fingers through Jace's hair.

Jace audibly sighed at that, leaning into the touch. "The mission. Sure."

He leaned more and more into the caress, his eyelids fluttering shut once more. There was nothing more relaxing than Ace's fingers like that – Raphael's fingers. His phone buzzed with a reply.

_Jace: Raphael Santiago is Ace. He's now my boyfriend. be NICE TO HIM_

_Alec: I'm glad you managed to ask him out. The pining got annoying. Don't get distracted from your mission. I'll have a word with him when you get back home. I'm happy for you, parabatai_

_~*~ The End ~*~_

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to play around with anonymity and the pining born from that, coupled with a bit of a... fun identity reveal. Japhael and non-sexual BDSM are also always fun so there's that ;D


End file.
